Perfection
by SoaringHigh
Summary: "Marry me, so you'll always be mine, and I can prove to you that I'll always be yours..."
1. This Is Called an Exposition, Kids

Sooo first attempt at a multi-chaptered fic :) I have the whole plot planned out so updates shouldn't be too far apart. Enjoy!

**CH.1-This Is Called an Exposition, Kids**

Could life be any more perfect?

Sakura Kinomoto closed her eyes in happiness, feeling the sun shine down on her and listening to nature's sounds with content. There was not one thing in her life that needed improving on, not one want or need that wasn't fulfilled. A warmth inside her that couldn't entirely be attributed to the wonderful day outside was taking over her mind, and she could only give credit to-

"Look, I could be at home, out of my business suit and relaxing. Let's look at some goddamn clouds already!"

Strangely, the warmth only got stronger as she registered those words. She opened her eyes and giggled as she looked at her best friend and boyfriend of over five years, Syaoran Li. She smirked at the mock-angry face he had on, but decided to let his remark slide, since he did seem pretty uncomfortable. He had just gotten out of a meeting, so he was wearing dress pants and a suit jacket, and they were on their way home when Sakura decided the day was perfect for cloud-watching. After a lot of whining and coercing from Sakura, Syaoran finally decided to entertain her for five minutes and gingerly sat down on some grass on the side of the road, before leaning back.

"I can feel the ants eating through my thousand-dollar Armani," Syaoran complained.

"Oh shut up, Syaoran," Sakura said. "I'm the birthday girl, and you're lucky I'm not mad that you blew me off the whole morning for some stupid meeting. Today you do what I want. Oh, look at that cloud, Syaoran-kun!" she cried, distracted and slipping into her childish tendencies. "It's a duck!"

He squinted up at it, but for the life of him he could not see a duck. Either Sakura was going crazy or he was, because he was absolutely sure…

"That's obviously a flower."

Sakura immediately whipped her head around at him, eyes narrowing and nostrils flaring. "It's a duck, Syaoran, and that's final."

Of course she was right! Sakura reasoned. Syaoran had about as much imagination as a pile of wood. The first time they had done this Syaoran insisted each time that the cloud looked like a Rorschach ink blot. She snorted at the memory.

"No, it's a flower. A sakura blossom, to be exact. Just like you."

Sakura rolled her eyes, ignoring the flirty smile that he sent her way. _It's incredible how much he's changed, _Sakura mused as she dimly noticed Syaoran go into a detailed explanation about why exactly the cloud looked like a sakura blossom. When Syaoran had first moved to Tomoeda in the tenth grade, he wasn't the most social boy at school. In fact, he was probably one of, if not the, most anti-social boys Sakura had ever met. Not that that made him a loner, because even then he had been extremely attractive, and found he couldn't get away from a pretty big group of girls who made it their high school goal to go out with the elusive and devilishly handsome Syaoran Li.

Sakura scoffed at the memory of them. Not one of them had been successful.

So Syaoran was an extreme emo who didn't like to talk when Sakura stumbled upon him and changed him with her bubbly and nice to the extreme personality. It may have taken her three years to get him to come out of his shell, but it was worth it when she saw him able to bond more with the guys.

It wasn't worth it when she saw his fan group grow dramatically, but she was content when she saw he never returned any of their affections.

However, it also bothered her that he never seemed to show any interest in girls. She never admitted to herself why she never gave up on him, why her heart flared with jealousy when she saw some other girl talk to him, why when the day of graduation came, she cried over Syaoran more than even her best friend, Tomoyo. Really, it was obvious, and as she drove away to a prestigious school in Osaka, she couldn't deny it in any longer.

She was in love with him.

It was three months into the new school term when she got the phone call. Apparently, Syaoran had gone drinking with his buddies at his college in Tokyo, because he obviously sounded drunk when he confessed his undying love for her.

Actually, it was more like, "Damn Sakura, I can't get that picture of you in a bikini out of my head. I think I'm in love with you."

She didn't talk to him for a month.

And that month would have lasted longer if he hadn't shown up at her college, apologizing for the drunk-dialing and his stupidity. He told her that he would quit drinking for the rest of his life, because he wanted to be sober for important things like telling the most perfect girl his feelings for her, thank you very much. He gave her a dozen red roses, asked her out on a date, and they went out and had the most fun Sakura had had in a while. It ended with them stealing up to the college's roof, thanks to Syaoran's planning and coercing, and enjoying a night of gazing at the stars.

Sakura decided that maybe she could forgive him. She did love him, after all.

And they've been going out ever since.

As Sakura finished reminiscing about the boy next to her, she laughed out loud as she realized he hadn't finished his rant about how the cloud looked like a flower.

"It's a duck," she interrupted him, closing her eyes again. _That's final_, her whole position said.

"It's a flower, _Sakura,_" Syaoran repeated. Apparently he didn't understand her message. Or maybe he was too stupid.

Her eyes flew open. "_Duck_," she insisted again. "Duck, duck, duck, duck!"

Her nostrils were flaring again. She looked so adorable that Syaoran found himself with enough courage to reach into his suit pocket, and clutch the small velvet box that he had been carrying around for years. "Sakura," he began slowly. She looked up at him and held her breath, wondering if he was going to ask her _it_.

There was a long pause, as they stared into each other's eyes. She watched in disappointment as she saw the resolve fade. He stared in confusion at her expectant face, silent.

"Syaoran?" she prompted. "You were saying something?"

Syaoran blinked a few times before grinning sheepishly. "Sorry," he said apologetically. "I forgot."

* * *

"Oohh, I can't believe him!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air. "He made me think-so _stupid_-how _could_ he-MAY GOD SMITE HIM WHERE HE STANDS!"

Tomoyo Daidouji just smiled serenely at her cousin as she stormed around her room, cursing Syaoran to hell and back, only to send him to hell again. Sakura was so _kawaii _when she was mad, Tomoyo just wanted to marry her herself!

Insert shifty eyes here, as she froze and looked around for any random mind readers that may have heard that stray thought.

She did _not _just think that while she was perfectly happy with Eriol. It was just the lingering feelings of an unrequited crush. Duh.

Tearing herself away from those extremely awkward thoughts, she held up her hands and said soothingly, "Maybe he just got scared?"

"DO NOT TRY TO SOOTHE ME TOMOYO!" Sakura screamed. "I want you to only be my best girlfriend, and _not _a friend of Syaoran's also. I want you to help me plan a horrible plot of revenge, preferably including leaving him naked in a mall with no money! I want you to call him every bad name you know because for some reason I can't! Do it, Tomoyo!"

Tomoyo hesitated, slightly scared at this fuming Sakura.

"…that bastard…?"

Sakura giggled and threw herself on Tomoyo's bed. "Thank you!" she squealed, hugging her. "Although it was a bit mean."

Tomoyo laughed. "Even when you're mean Sakura, you're still nice."

"Hoe?"

"I'm just saying; even when you're madder than heck at a person, you still won't stoop low enough to call them something bad. You refuse to call Syaoran any bad names because you know he doesn't deserve it, and you love him."

Sakura sighed dreamily, thinking of the man she loved. "Yeah…" she mumbled. "I do love him a lot…"

Suddenly she narrowed her eyes at Tomoyo. "Don't try to trick me into forgiving him."

Tomoyo widened her eyes innocently. "But I didn't say anything about forgiveness, Sakura! I may have reminded you of your love for him, but _you_ were the one who brought up forgiveness."

Sakura glared at her, refusing to speak.

Silence.

More silence.

Sigh. "I'm still mad at him."

"Of course."

* * *

Syaoran didn't really know why he was here.

All he knew was that for some reason, Sakura was mad, and for some reason, he was the cause of it, so he had to take her out to a fancy restaurant to make up for whatever he did.

Che. Women.

"Sakuraaa," he whined pitifully, while they waited for their order. "Won't you tell me what I did wrong?"

She just scoffed and turned away, trying to hide the blush that was creeping onto her face.

She couldn't very well tell him that she was mad because she _thought_ he was going to propose to her! Awkward much? Then he would feel pressured to get married, or he would realize that he wasn't ready and dump her! Oh no, he was going to dump her. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…but he said he loved her! So now he was a liar too? That lying, son of a…son of a-

Great.

She couldn't even call him a bad name in her _thoughts_.

Great again.

He was staring at her with a scared look on his face, and she realized her expression had morphed into a full-blown death scowl.

Triple great with an awesome on top.

She was saved from trying to laugh off her internal dilemma by the arrival of their food. She eagerly dug in, savoring the smell and taste of the delicious pasta. She paused as she realized that Syaoran hadn't even taken a bite.

"Syaoran, what's wrong?"

He shook his head and picked up his fork. "Nothing, I just forgot this is what I ordered."

"Mou, Syaoran, you're so forgetful sometimes."

"Only when I'm distracted by your beauty."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Go away, Syaoran," she giggled. "I can't be mad at you when you're this cute."

He smirked. "Isn't that a good thing?" he asked. "Although I'm pretty sure you're charmed by my suaveness, and flirtatious nature, not because I'm _cute_. I shuddered when you said that, you know."

Sakura laughed again. "I don't know how you make me fall in love with you more every day, but somehow you manage it."

Beaming at her words, his thoughts immediately darted to the ring still in his business suit, and he cursed. _Such a perfect opportunity_, he sighed, although he knew in this public place he could never muster enough courage to ask her. He was just sooo cowardly.

Damn.

So instead of celebrating an engagement and making mad love in the restaurant bathroom (Syaoran could picture it now), they ended their date with a car ride back to their apartment. He fumbled with the keys a bit (Syaoran said they all looked the same and he could never remember which one opened his door), but they managed to stumble in.

Sakura made herself at home in their familiar apartment. "You want marshmallows on your hot chocolate, Syaoran?" she called from the kitchen.

"Sure," he called back. Sighing, he loosened his tie and shrugged off his jacket, making sure to lay out a comfortable set of clothes that Sakura could change into. He threw himself on the couch, trying to look tired and worn out. _Maybe Sakura will give me a back rub…_

Too bad she was heartless and cruel, because all she did was shove his feet off one end of the couch and sit down. She put on a movie, _eww chick flick_, he realized, and studiously began ignoring him. She was definitely _not_ close enough to be able to give him a back rub.

He let out a pitiful whine, rolling his shoulders. _Too obvious_, he realized. But he didn't care.

All he got was a glare in return.

"At least give me my hot chocolate!" She had set it on the table in front of them, out of his reach. He reached out for it, watching the steam rise up. He made sure he looked as pathetic as possible.

Another glare.

_So she's still mad…_

Fortunately for Syaoran, he knew the one thing that always got him back into Sakura's good books. Sakura knew he knew, and that he used it to his advantage every time he could. Their friends even knew he knew, even if they themselves didn't know what it was.

The point of this is, Sakura never could stay mad at Syaoran for long.

"Let's go stargazing."

Aah, the magic words. Against her will, Sakura immediately brightened.

"Okay!"

Mwaha, putty in his hands. Maybe he'll get that back rub after all…

As he held Sakura in his arms on top of the blanket they were laying on, and she mixed the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper up (again) and Syaoran had to correct her (again), suddenly all thoughts of tricking her into giving him a back rub disappeared. He knew Sakura wasn't seriously mad at him. I mean who could ever be mad at _him_? (Insert five minutes of self-absorbed complimenting, which every man needs once in a while.) Anyway, even though Sakura wasn't really mad at him, and he liked their witty bickering, he would always choose stargazing with Sakura over anything else. This was where they truly connected, when he was able to see their life together, past, present, and future. It was just him, her, and the stars above. They were in a world where it was just the two of them, with the stars as their sustenance and only entertainment. He sighed in content and wrapped his arms around Sakura tighter, thinking, _this, this is perfection_.


	2. A Proposal

So so so sorry guys! But yes, this is the proposal chapter T_T. I was considering making the second chapter filled with more of Syaoran's horrible proposal attempts and then making this the third chapter, but I ran out of ideas. I know it's going really fast and it seemed like this story was going to be all about Syaoran's failure at life, but there's more to it I promise!

* * *

**CH.2-A Proposal**

Oh. My. God.

_Why_ was he such a coward? The Li clan's genes did _not_ have cowardice. Obviously he should get tested and make sure he isn't a bastard baby, because he was the biggest wimp in the world.

Here's the scene: Syaoran is on his knee, facing Sakura. He has the ring in his hand.

Problem: He's frozen. He can't move his mouth, can't move _anything_, which is a problem because...

Oh yeah, she's also asleep.

More details to the scene: It's nighttime, three in the morning to be exact, which is a pretty big factor, but it doesn't change the fact that Syaoran is a scaredy-cat.

He was like a little kid, alone in his bed at night while he's convinced there's a monster under his bed. He wants to run to his mommy (_protect_ his _mother_ I mean), but he's scared that if he gets up, the monster will grab him. It's safe in his bed, cocooned in his blankets, but the monster is still there. He wants to leave, but he can't. He wants to wake Sakura up, but he can't.

He probably looked like such a stalker. Creeper. Rapist. He was crouching over her, for heaven's sake, probably with the most deranged expression on his face as he tried to force his mouth to open, while also forcing it closed. If she woke up for some odd reason at this very moment, there was no doubt that she would scream and try to claw his face off in panic before realizing it was him.

Come to think of it…why _wasn't_ she waking up? Aren't you supposed to sense it if someone is staring at you? If his gaze was a laser, she would have been fried to a crisp by now. Especially since he's been frozen here for the _past twenty minutes_.

He was such a coward. Damn.

To his horror, and exhilaration (he was starting to confuse himself), his mouth started moving, as if trying to convince himself he wasn't a coward.

"Sakura."

She didn't respond. So she ignored him. Great.

Oh wait, maybe he hadn't actually said anything? His mouth moved, he was sure of it, but did any sound actually come out…?

"Sakura."

That was better. Now he was sure he said it out loud.

…

…

…

OH. MY. GOD.

He actually said it! He was trying to wake her up! His arms flailed as she started to stir, but he was still stuck in his one-knee-on-the-ground proposal stance. Nooooo why did he have to have such conflicting intentions? His mind was telling him to get the hell away, but his body was making him stay. Damn it, so which one should he follow?

What the heck, it's not like it mattered. His body was forcing him to stay, so he was staying. He just hoped Sakura wouldn't be too weirded out…

She shifted, and Syaoran held his breath, hoping that the smile on his face didn't look too forced or eccentric.

She settled down again, and it didn't sink in for a while, but eventually Syaoran realized…she hadn't woken up. He wasn't going to be forced to propose to her at that moment. And, just like with everything else, he felt relieved, and disappointed. He really was going to go crazy sometime.

He sighed. The excitement (horror) had really gotten to him, and he found himself slumping down on the ground. God damn his cowardice. God damn the tradition that the man had to propose. At this moment, Sakura probably had five times as much courage as his sorry ass did.

He placed the ring back in his suit pocket and groaned, smacking his forehead with his palm as he did so. Coward.

He should really plan out a proposal, some romantic dinner or something, so he wouldn't be able to back out. He was the biggest wimp in the world. In the universe, actually! Heck, the whole galaxy!

Wait, was a galaxy bigger than the universe? He pondered this, almost missing the small sigh that seemed to come from the bed.

"…Syaoran? Is that you?"

It was quiet, and Syaoran knew that Sakura was still half asleep.

"Why are you hitting your face?"

With horror, Syaoran realized that this whole time he had still been smacking his forehead and groaning. So Sakura could hear his quiet groans from across the room but was deaf when he was in her face screaming her name? She was like…farsighted, but with hearing.

"Syaoran?"

Oh yeah, she asked him a question.

"Umm…" he stuttered, and his brain whirled with excuses. "Well…you see…there was a…a…a fly on my face?"

So he wasn't a quick thinker. At least, not at three in the morning.

But Sakura was also not a quick thinker, and she just rolled over before falling asleep again.

Oh. My. God.

* * *

The one thing Syaoran liked about having a girlfriend was that she did his laundry.

Just kidding. That was kinda sexist. Oh man if Sakura caught him thinking that…

BAM!

"OWWWW!"

Clutching his head, Syaoran looked up to see a furious Sakura, holding one of his suits in one hand and curling the other into a fist.

He gave her what he believed to be one of his cutest smiles and attempted, "Hi, I love you?"

She ignored his pitiful excuse of an apology. Good lord, what time was it? Ten in the morning and she was mad at him again _already_? What did he do this time?

"What were you just thinking there, Syaoran Li?"

Oh my god, she's a mind reader. Oh, the one safe place he had, where he could think dirty thoughts in peace! Speaking of which, last night was pretty creative…

BAM! (again)

"OWWW!"

"You have that smirk on your face again, Li! _You're thinking some sexist thoughts, aren't you_?"

Note to self: try to control your expression when you think dirty thoughts. It appears she's catching on.

He cringed as he waited for the next blow to come. Sakura could always tell when he was thinking…less than decent thoughts. He was surprised he wasn't brain damaged. Or more surprising, that he wasn't emotionally scarred. Sakura was such a meanie when she wanted to be, and those mind games she played…

"Oh honey, by the way, do you want this suit dry cleaned?"

He gaped at her like a fish, blinking rapidly. Hallelujah, she's forgiven him again! Good thing too, because there aren't any stars to gaze at at ten in the morning.

Then again, it might be a trick…

He weighed his options. There's no problem with being optimistic, right? Maybe she was too tired to hold a grudge for the rest of the day? He sure as hell would be. Deciding to trust his little blossom, he nodded his head yes.

"GO DO IT YOURSELF, THEN!"

And she threw the suit at his face.

The first thought that ran through Syaoran's head was his little blossom was a devious vixen and he should never have fallen for her dirty trap. The second thought was that for some reason, there was something _hard_ in his suit pocket.

He grasped it and pulled out a velvet box.

He gasped. Sakura gasped. They looked at each other, frozen, while Sakura's eyes darted between the box and his face. She didn't take his blank expression to be a good sign, but she knew the ring was for her. What she didn't know was how to handle this. Should she scream and throw her arms around him? Should she hit him for having such an unromantic proposal? This was the biggest moment of her life, and she wanted it to be special!

Slowly, she walked over to him, and took the box out of his hands. She opened it to reveal a small silver band with a pink diamond on top and cherry blossom engravings along the outside of the ring. The diamond wasn't too big so that it looked gaudy, but big enough to imply that Syaoran had a lot of money that he was willing to spend on his girl (which he did).

She couldn't help herself. She plucked the ring out and put it on her ring finger, and admired the way it glittered in the sunlight.

With tears in her eyes, she threw herself into Syaoran's arms. "Yes!" she squealed. "Yes, yes of course I'll marry you, Syaoran!"

He stood there, frozen, as she hugged him, and looked down at her with a bemused face. He was about to hesitantly, slowly, put his arms around her…

BAM!

"You couldn't have at least gone down on one knee?"

* * *

"OH MY GOD! SQUEEE! Sakura I must videotape your wedding!"

Three guesses as to who Sakura is talking to, and if you need all three you should really go get your brain checked.

"Whatever you want Tomoyo (surprise)! I'm so happy right now! He's finally asked me after we've known each other for eight years!"

"Tell me how he did it again!"

"Well, we were fighting because I could just _tell_ he was thinking some sexist remark in that mind of his, and I chucked one of his suits at him and I guess he realized there was something in there, because he pulled out a ring!"

Tomoyo had stars in her eyes. "Ooh, maybe he planned it all out! How romantic!"

Sakura scoffed. "Yeah right," she said. "The suit was the one he wore to that meeting on my birthday a few months ago, remember? When I said I thought he was going to propose? Well turns out he probably was, but he just got scared."

Giggling, Tomoyo let out a quiet "I told you so."

Ignoring that, Sakura continued, "And when I asked him how long he's had the ring, he told me he couldn't remember! Can you believe that? He's had the ring for so long he forgot when he got it!"

After some more squealing and excited basic planning, the two best friends hugged goodbye. Tomoyo wished her good luck at her next stop and Sakura gulped, her ecstatic mood quickly turning into fear and dread.

Telling her otou-san and onii-chan was not so filled with happy squeals and exclamation points. Instead, it was filled with warm congratulations from her father and death glares from her brother, who relentlessly interrogated her about whether he _touched_ her and how the bastard would like to die.

"Please, onii-chan!" Sakura wailed, flushing a brilliant shade of red. "This is _so_ gross talking to you about this!"

"Anything above the shoulders and below the knees I guess I can deal with a quick and easy death. Below the thighs, no longer than three hours. If he did _it_, and I know you know what I mean, there's no guarantee about what I'll do, especially with no witnesses, preferably in a dark alleyway…"

"Otou-san!"

Fujitaka smiled widely. It was nice having his children together again.

* * *

When Sakura finally managed to make it back to their apartment, she was dead tired of running around town and telling everyone about the engagement. But she knew she could never find it in her heart to get annoyed at Tomoyo (as maid of honor, I'll help plan your whole wedding! I'll get it done in six months, nine months tops), her four bridesmaids Chiharu, Naoko, Rika, and Meiling (more squealing and stuff), or even Touya (castration? decapitation? poison?).

But it was nice to just relax in her own home, with her fiancé.

Who was nowhere to be found.

"Syaoran?" she called out, searching the apartment. "Syaoran, where are you?"

She slammed through every room, getting worried, before finding him lying on their bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Silently slipping in with him and ignoring the startled look he gave her, she snuggled next to him and listened to their breathing. His heartbeat was pounding, and he was stiff as a board. There was tension in the air, and she had an idea why.

"Have you told Yelan yet?" she asked gently, reaching up to touch his face.

"Yelan?" he repeated dumbly, flinching as her fingers brushed against his cheek.

"Yes, Yelan," Sakura confirmed, rolling her eyes. "Yelan, as in your _mother_. I know you two don't have the best of relationships, but you can't keep ignoring her. Her only son is getting married, Syaoran. She needs to know."

She reached over him and picked up the cell phone that he had set on his bedside desk. She scrolled through his contacts until she found 'Yelan Li' and hit the dial button before he could respond.

Pressing speaker phone since Syaoran was too frozen to take the phone; they waited with bated breath as they heard it ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"…Xiao Lang?" It was soft and hesitant, but unmistakably Yelan Li's voice. Sakura nudged him encouragingly and he leaned closer, clearing his throat.

"Yes, it's me…mother."

Any emotion that had been in Yelan's voice before disappeared as she got over the shock of talking to her son for the first time in eight years.

"What business do you have, Xiao Lang?"

Sakura winced at the detachment and frigidity in her voice. She rubbed Syaoran's arm soothingly as he flinched as well.

"I'm getting married."

There was a long pause, and Sakura looked at Syaoran worriedly. His gaze was concentrated on the phone between them, waiting for a reaction...

And then finally, Yelan whispered, "Really?" They could hear the excitement in her voice, and both knew she was beaming.

Syaoran involuntarily smiled in response. "Yes, we got engaged today."

"To whom?" she almost squealed. Before he could respond, she continued, "Oh, don't answer. I know who. Sakura, of course!"

Syaoran looked at her questioningly. Sakura shrugged sheepishly in response.

"While you may not have kept in touch since you moved to Japan, Xiao Lang," Yelan continued, "dear Sakura took it upon herself to contact me after you two started dating. She's a keeper, Xiao Lang. Take care of her."

And with that, the line went dead.

They both stared at the phone, unbelieving that Yelan had just hung up like that. _She doesn't want details?_ Sakura pouted. Then she realized that Syaoran just had a phone call with his mother, and he survived without any damage. She was about to tease him and ask him if it was really that bad, but he interrupted before she could start.

"Sakura?" he whispered. His tone was questioning, as if he wasn't sure of what he was saying.

She nodded her head confusedly.

"Why am I in love with you?"


	3. Look Out for the Wedding Planners

**CH.3-Look Out For the Wedding Planners**

"Why am I in love with you?"

They stared at each other, and Sakura questioned herself. _Why _is_ he in love with me?_ she wondered. And also, _why am I in love with him_?

There wasn't really anything that could explain why someone falls in love. Sakura sure as heck couldn't explain it, because one minute she was sobbing over her best friend and the next she drove away from him realizing she loved him. There wasn't a moment where she could pinpoint as the one she fell in love, and there wasn't one thing about him that made her fall for him.

"I don't know about you," she responded slowly. "But for me, I love you because you complete me. Because before I met you, I was searching for someone who made me feel like you do. Because when we're under the stars, I feel we're in perfect synchronization, like we're soul mates."

She gagged at her cheesiness, but really, she was trying to explain why she loved someone for heaven's sake!

"Soul mates…" he repeated. He smiled gently, and said, "I like the sound of that."

He pulled her closer, and she marveled at how right they felt together. She felt him stroke her engagement ring and she moved her hand so he could look at it.

"You're beautiful," he murmured, twisting her hand so he could see the ring at all angles. "I'm lucky to be marrying you."

Sakura squealed inside. Ooh, she loved the romantic side of Syaoran. It wasn't often she saw it anymore; it was only when they were first going out that he really made an effort. She wanted to accuse him of slacking off from impressing her, but she realized just this once, she wouldn't ruin the moment.

He paused in his admiring of the ring momentarily, and something seemed to suddenly strike him.

"I can't believe it…we're actually engaged!"

Sakura blinked a few times, before bursting out in laughter. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "Yes," she told him. "I'm glad you finally got that through your thick skull."

He seemed dazed, so Sakura took his face and said to him seriously, "We are engaged. You proposed to me. I accepted. In six to nine months depending on how fast Tomoyo is, we will be a happily wedded couple."

"Engaged…" he repeated again.

Suddenly he whipped his cell phone out and began punching in numbers furiously. "I have to tell Eriol, that bastard, even though I hate him. Someone's got to be the best man. And Takashi, and Meiling, and the Elders. And I suppose Mother," he said, sighing.

Sakura tugged the cell phone away gently. "I already told Meiling," she said soothingly. "And Tomoyo and Chiharu probably already told Eriol and Takashi." She threw the phone away and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You can tell them in person later. Let's just make this night about us."

He sighed and pulled away reluctantly. "I have to tell Mother, though," he muttered.

Sakura stared at him questioningly. "Syaoran, I know you like to repress thoughts about your mother, but you can't have forgotten that you told her an hour ago? Don't you remember her whole 'treat Sakura like a queen' speech?"

Okay, maybe it didn't go exactly like that, and Syaoran said, "No, actually I don't. How does she know you anyway?"

"Well, after we started going out," she said, "I knew that you would never take me to meet your family, so I decided to go myself. I took a week out of school, told you I was going on a field trip out of the country as part of my classes, and flew to China to meet your mother and sisters. I think they like me," she confided with a wink.

He gaped at her. "You devious person," he said, smiling. "Although I'm sure they do like you if I haven't gotten any complaints from mother. Not that I'm surprised," he added. "In their eyes, anyone who can get me to be open up is a saint."

Sakura smirked playfully. "Sometimes I think I am too."

* * *

For the next nine months, Tomoyo Daidouji was in heaven. Oh, how she loved planning grand celebrations! Especially _Sakura's_…she reminisced about all the parties and events she had ever planned for her, and how she looked so _kawaii_ in all of them!

But nothing, nothing will ever beat how beautiful she will look in her wedding dress! She will make sure of that!

She perfected another detail on Sakura's wedding dress (that she designed of course) before heeding the calls of Eriol.

"Hai, hai, I'm coming!"

With one last glassy-eyed look, she walked out to Sakura and Syaoran's engagement party.

"SA-KU-RAAAAA!"

Is it wrong to cringe when your best friend/cousin calls your name? Sakura guiltily covered it up before turning to face Tomoyo with a grin.

"Tomoyo!"

They jumped up and down and squealed some more in celebration before Tomoyo turned to the man holding Sakura's waist.

"I'm glad you finally got the guts to ask her, Syaoran!" Tomoyo said (squealed). "Sakura has been waiting for this moment for _years_, and I'm surprised you made her wait that long. I seem to recall you telling me you've wanted to marry her since you got out of high school…"

Leaving the blushing and stammering couple, Tomoyo walked away with Eriol. He leaned down and whispered, "You're evil, you know that?"

Tomoyo laughed. "They're just so _kawaii_ when they're embarrassed!"

The engagement party continued as smoothly as a baby's bottom (of course, since Tomoyo planned it). Like a law of nature, the guests separated into their own gender groups, finding comfort in their own sex and avoiding the peculiarity of the other like the plague. The girls huddled together, gossiping and laughing, with an occasional squeal piercing the conversation. The guys huddled in front of the TV, staring at the game going on, with an occasional grunt to indicate either pleasure or displeasure.

I know. So stereotypical.

"Oi, Syaoran."

Grunt.

"Japan. Asian Cup?" (Translation: How do you think Japan will do at the AFC Asian Cup?)

Grunt. (Translation: Well, they've been doing pretty well this season. I wouldn't be surprised if they made it past the group stage and quarterfinals, or even the semifinals, but Iran and South Korea always dominate. We'll see.)

Grunt. (Translation: Yeah. You're such a soccer buff, Syaoran.)

Half an hour passed before the men conversed again. There were a lot of groans and excited yells as attempts at goals were made, but they didn't really celebrate until Japan scored against South Korea, with ten minutes left.

"YESSSS!" Eriol cried, jumping up and pumping his fist in the air. He pounded Takashi's back in a manly way as they broke out into a victory dance. All around the men's group, excited exclamations expressed their happiness, and they all smirked at the one Korean guy in the huddle, who had his head in his hands, quietly groaning.

Somehow, they decided simultaneously to gang up on him (it's a guy thing) and the poor soul soon found himself attacked by noogies and headlocks. Laughing maniacally, the reclusive and silent group of males suddenly transformed into a mob of hooligans.

The women spared a glance at them, and then turned back as if nothing happened. _Men_.

Only Eriol noticed that one person wasn't taking part in the celebration. Syaoran was staring at the game blankly, and he was the only one who was paying attention when the Korea Republic scored another goal, breaking the tie that Japan had just made. Eriol wanted to ignore it and continue harassing Tae-Min, but he knew that Syaoran was the one who always got the most excited. He should have tackled Tae-Min down by now and yelled in his face, and maybe attempted a few wet willies. He stared at him in confusion.

"There's something wrong with him."

Eriol whipped his head around to see that Tomoyo had joined their group of immaturity.

"Erm, what?" he asked, trying to block the horrible sight that refined young ladies should never witness.

"There's something wrong with Syaoran, and I know you see it too."

With that cryptic message, Tomoyo walked off. Eriol stared after her, disappointed. She couldn't spare five minutes away from her group of girlfriends to give him a kiss? Some lover she was, how could she look him in the face and tell him he was her forever guy-

"HECKA YES, JAPAN'S ONLY LOSING BY ONE NOW!"

Suddenly Eriol found himself kissing hard floor as Syaoran tackled him from behind. As he sprang up to retaliate, he dismissed Tomoyo's ominously scary statement, seeing nothing wrong with Syaoran. _Guess she's not as perceptive as she thinks she is_, he thought smugly.

* * *

Syaoran groaned as he fell onto their bed, dragging Sakura down with him. "Damn Tae-Min and his South Koreanness. He didn't need to jump me after they won. It feels like a sumo wrestler just tackled another sumo wrestler and they landed on my back." He groaned again.

"I'm not giving you a back rub," Sakura immediately said, shrugging out of the dress she was wearing. She searched for her pajamas and pulled them on.

"I wasn't going to ask you for one," Syaoran defended, although even he could hear the disappointment in his voice. Sakura raised an incredulous eyebrow at him before rejoining him in bed. Syaoran just stripped off everything besides his boxers, too lazy to even get up.

"How's the wedding planning going?" Syaoran managed to ask, fighting back a yawn. He pulled Sakura closer, burying his face in her hair and sighing contentedly.

Sakura brightened, and immediately plunged into a recount of how Tomoyo dragged her around town to look at dresses so she could get an idea on what she liked, how they finally picked a venue at a nearby church, how Tomoyo kept on nagging her to remind Syaoran about starting a wedding registry. She listed off things that she still needed to do, including invitations, food, and decorations, but the whole time she was beaming radiantly.

She loved the stress, the flurry of decisions. She loved being in charge and planning the biggest event of her life. She loved every minute of it, every little decision made her feel more accomplished.

Syaoran knew that, and that was why he constantly asked her about the wedding. When she wasn't planning, she liked to talk about planning. When she wasn't making decisions, she liked to go over what decisions she made. Even though he could care less about wedding planning, Syaoran liked seeing Sakura's eyes light up and sparkle whenever the word 'wedding' was directed at her.

Although it didn't stop him from drifting off as she kept on going. He was a good fiancé, he really was, but a man can only take so much.

Sakura broke off as she realized that Syaoran was struggling to stay awake. She did that a lot lately, put people to sleep. Really, she didn't mean to, but Tomoyo was rubbing off on her.

Plus, there were just so many _variables_. She felt if she went over every decision she made a thousand times, then everything would be okay, everything would turn out wonderful.

Syaoran opened his eyes long enough to notice that Sakura had fallen silent, musing. "What's wrong?" he asked, shaking himself awake. "What are you thinking about?"

Sakura shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I've annoyed you enough already, I won't get mad if you ignore me this once." She smiled, tilting her head in that adorable way of hers.

Syaoran sat up and Sakura mirrored him automatically. Taking her hands in his, Syaoran said, "You can tell me anything, Sakura. I _want_ to know. If it's bothering you, I want to help you make it go away."

Sakura didn't respond for a while, unsure of how to tell him. "It's just…anything can go wrong, Syaoran!" she answered, and her voice almost cracked. "It's supposed to be the happiest day of my life, so I want perfection! But then I realize that _I'm_ planning it, and face it; I'm not the best or most experienced wedding planner in the world. I just…I _know_ something will happen. I just know it."

He held her face in his hands, and looked into her eyes as he said seriously, "Sakura, I can't see into the future and tell you how the wedding will be like, but I can assure you that as long as we get married, it'll be perfect no matter what. I promise that no matter what goes wrong; I'll be waiting at the altar to make everything better. I promise I'll be there, because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

It was funny how his words suddenly made all her insecurities disappear. "Thank you Syaoran," Sakura whispered. "I'll hold you to that promise."

* * *

Yayayay so I've slipped in two little homages in this chapter :) Kudos to anyone who can figure them out!


	4. Bitch, I'm Getting Married

Sorry for those of you who don't know what homages are! Umm, they're kind of like allusions, I guess? I'm not sure how to explain it, and I think homages is the wrong word...anyway I'll just list them here, since no one guessed them haha xD

When Eriol rants about Tomoyo, he mentions "forever guy," which is loosely from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Haha I'm such a dork :p. And Tae-Min is a member of the Korean pop group SHINee. I love SHINee especially Tae-Min and Min-Ho. Key used to be my favorite, until he recently shaved off all his hair D:

Umm, so yeah. I guess that's a little info about me then!

* * *

**CH.4-Bitch, I'm Getting Married. Don't Mess With Me**

Nine months wasn't enough.

For the first time in her life, Tomoyo Daidouji failed to meet her deadline. This was why she was currently drowning her sorrows in a gallon of ice cream, sobbing in Sakura's lap.

"It's just too much!" she wailed, shoving in another spoonful of chocolate chunk (the classic) into her mouth. "The decorations have barely been looked at, no one has started on your wedding registry, and the entertainment is a joke right now!" She ate another few globs of ice cream before continuing, "And that stupid church with its stupid overly-Christian values!" More ice cream. More sobbing. "Tell me, how are we supposed to prove you're a virgin? Damn them! I hope they go to hell for preventing happy couples from getting married!" She threw away her spoon and grabbed an ice cream scooper instead, shoveling the ice cream down.

"Tomoyo," Sakura pleaded. "Slow down with the ice cream! You'll give yourself brain freeze. Plus your tears are getting into it. That can't taste good."

"I like the taste of my sorrow!" she yelled, fuming. "It reminds me of my failure!" She stuck her whole head in the carton and continued sobbing.

After much struggling (Tomoyo held the ice cream with a death grip), Sakura finally managed to wrestle the carton away from her. "No more ice cream or else Tomoyo will turn fat," she reminded her. Tomoyo sulked but didn't reach for it again.

"Well, Tomoyo," Sakura began. "I never agreed to the deadline that you gave yourself. A wedding a week after my birthday? I'd like two of my biggest holidays to be farther apart, so we can celebrate them properly, please. Plus, I heard June weddings are popular in America." Tomoyo stared ahead with a blank face, although she knew what Sakura was trying to do. "I'm sure all our friends will understand if we change the date. So," Sakura said, "I guess the deadline that I'll choose will be in June. That gives you two more months!"

Tomoyo let out a deep sigh before attempting a smile. "Thank you, Sakura," she said quietly.

Although Tomoyo never forgot her "biggest failure," as she called it.

* * *

The extra two months did a world of help for the young wedding planner and her faithful helper. Not to say it wasn't still stressful, because it was. In fact, it was even more stressful. But having a two extra months seemed to motivate them, especially when the original wedding date came and passed and they realized just how much they needed the time. They threw themselves into the wedding planning with gusto. Sakura even took leave from her job to completely focus on her wedding.

It's not like she needed to work anyway. Syaoran was filthy rich, plain and simple, and he could support them with ease. But just because Sakura didn't _have_ to work didn't mean she didn't _want_ to work. In fact, she liked her job as a journalist at the Tokyo Press. Even though she only got fluff pieces (she was what her co-workers called a JJ-junior journalist, because she just started working there and was fresh out of college), she was confident she had a career there. When she asked her (very scary, big, and beefy) editor for an extended leave, he had just stared at her for a few minutes, smoking his cigar (just kidding, that would be so stereotypical. Plus smoking kills, remember that) before finally grunting in acquiescence.

Usually JJ's would be fired on the spot. Score!

And alright, maybe she did just want to be able to call herself independent and prove to skeptics that she was _not_ a gold digger. And maybe she didn't want to settle into the stereotypical housewife role: staying home, taking care of the kids, and waiting for the husband to bring home the bacon. She wanted to bring her own fried pig filled with fat and potential heart attacks to the family table, thank you very much.

Point of the matter: Sakura didn't want to be accused of leeching off her fiancé.

Although two months wouldn't spoil her.

"Sakura!" A tired call interrupted her from her thoughts. Tomoyo looked frazzled, and she was holding a clipboard while chewing on the end of her pen. "Are you listening?"

It was a week before the wedding, and Sakura could see the finish line. The clipboard Tomoyo was holding, that wonderful, heaven-sent clipboard, held the list of things left to do, and Tomoyo insisted they were all little choices, odds and ends that needed to be tied up. Sakura wanted to squeal as the checkmarks grew and the thought of stress-free days called to her. Tomoyo said they could finish the list today and Sakura wanted to go to the trendy new-age café that just opened to create a calm environment for decision-making. It wasn't really working, though; she was getting distracted, already preparing herself for a week of just focusing on getting pretty for her big day…

"SAKURA!" the cry came again, and Sakura snapped out of her thoughts, _again_. "I've been asking you for the past five minutes, peonies or cherry blossoms for the bridesmaids' bouquets?"

"Syaoran likes peonies…" Sakura mused. "And I feel like there are too many cherry blossoms already. _Just_ because my name's 'sakura' doesn't mean I want everything to be cherry blossoms!"

Tomoyo just nodded and made a note, checking it off.

"Okay, so Syaoran's so indecisive so I'm asking you, should his nieces and nephews be served the strawberry parfait with chocolate? There's so much dessert, Yelan and I were thinking that they would start to get too hyper for their own good."

Sakura smiled. "Well, it's a wedding," she said. "Let them go crazy."

Tomoyo chuckled and made another note.

"Next is the order of the last few songs…"

And on and on it went. Tomoyo would ask something, Sakura would answer after some thought, and Tomoyo would nod and check another question off. Where this distant relative you're not even sure you're related to will sit, what time you want the cake to be eaten, how Touya should find out that you're not going to stay in Tomoeda for your honeymoon, but are actually going to Europe…Sakura answered them all, draining cappuccino after cappuccino until finally…

"Tomoyo, next question?"

"Actually Sakura…I'm finished. We're done."

They stared at each other before identical grins slowly spread on their faces. "Done?" Sakura repeated. "As in, no more days filled with countless hours of choosing between shades of the same color for every little thing?"

Tomoyo nodded eagerly. "No more late night phone calls reminding me to write a detail down because you would never remember!"

Sakura jumped up and grabbed Tomoyo's hands. "No more coming home grumpy and cranky and having to hear Syaoran's PMS jokes!"

Laughing, Tomoyo spun around, barely avoiding knocking over chairs. "No more Eriol accusing me of planning our own wedding on the side because I've been so busy!"

The other people in the small café were staring at the giggling and twirling girls, but they were too lost in their celebration of eleven months' hard work.

"I don't have to awkwardly meet with Syaoran's side of the family to talk about wedding details anymore!"

"I won't have to make phone call after phone call finalizing details I've already finalized a million times before!"

"I won't scare people off with what Syaoran calls my 'scary stressed face!'"

"I won't want to punch babies in the face when I get annoyed!"

Now the other customers were getting nervous. Sakura stopped and gaped at Tomoyo. "You didn't really want to punch a baby?"

"I was stressed! And there was one that wouldn't stop crying on the subway…"

A mother quickly left, shielding her child from view.

"I was just kidding!" Tomoyo immediately claimed, waving her hands. "I didn't really want to!" Secretly she did, but whatever. She didn't want to get the label of Tomoyo "punches-babies-in-the-face" Daidouji. Her mother would have a heart attack, plus Eriol would never let her live it down.

Sakura seemed mollified enough, and they both sat down again, calmed from their outburst. Tomoyo glanced down at the clipboard and said, "Well, I'd better get these details in. I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura!"

She drained her cup while Sakura protested. "No, Tomoyo, I'll do it! You've done so much for me already, and we're almost finished...I can do it myself!"

Tomoyo shook her head, smiling. "It's alright, Sakura," she said. "You go home to Syaoran. I know you haven't been spending as much time with him as you want."

Sakura nodded reluctantly. "I guess that's true," she admitted. "I feel like we haven't had a night out in months." She paused. "But if there's anything I can do, tell me!"

Tomoyo just laughed and hugged her. "Don't worry about it!" When she pulled back, a serious expression was on her face as she added, "You should really just talk to Syaoran. I feel like there's something wrong with him."

"Hoee?" Sakura asked, but Tomoyo just shook her head.

"I'm not sure what it is," she said. "But you should find out first."

* * *

Sakura unlocked the door to the apartment and guiltily glanced around as she realized she had almost forgotten what her own home looked like. Most of the time she got back so late it was too dark to do anything besides take a shower and fall into bed. She cringed at the state of the apartment: dishes piled up in the sink (she usually only did them when she had a few minutes spare time), takeout boxes littering the kitchen table (when she realized they were out of clean dishes), and a huge stain on the living room floor, which she dimly remembered was coffee that Syaoran spilled last week…

She sighed, and decided to tackle the stain first. Syaoran was still at work, and Sakura wanted him to come home to a clean house.

It was twenty minutes later when the stain finally wiped off (damn coffee, it must meld to hardware floors or something), and two hours before she decided the apartment looked decent. Just in time, because as she brushed off the leaves that had piled up on their balcony, she saw Syaoran pull up in a taxi.

She frowned. Syaoran had his own car that he drove to work and back every day. How long had he been taking a taxi?

She glanced up as she heard the door open, but knew it was Syaoran. He walked in and with a surprised look called out, "Hey, honey." She winced. Had it really been so long that he had to look surprised to see her?

"Is there something wrong with your car?" she called back, still on the balcony. She walked in to find him slumped on the couch, eyes closed.

"No," he replied, eyes still closed. "I was kinda surprised myself when I found myself in the taxi. I guess I was so tired I didn't trust myself to drive back."

Sakura looked at him sympathetically. There _was_ something wrong with him, she realized. He was overworked. She only had to notice the dark, deep bags under his eyes or the pale and haggard look of his face. His hair didn't look as shiny or soft as before, and when he opened his eyes to look at her, she saw exhaustion and weariness. It didn't help that his house was a pigsty and his girlfriend was almost nonexistent.

She slid onto the couch next to him, and he tucked her into his arms. "Sorry I haven't been here a lot," she whispered. "But all the wedding plans are done."

He smiled. "That's great," he said, and it sounded like a sigh. Within seconds, his eyelids had drifted close again and he was lightly snoring.

She stared at his sleeping face for a while before quietly slipping out of his arms. After draping Syaoran with a blanket, she bustled around the apartment some more, cleaning and scrubbing whenever she found something to clean and scrub. She frequently glanced at Syaoran's sleeping form and smiled.

Even dead tired and overworked, he still looked angelic. Perfect. She kissed him goodnight on his forehead and was about to go to bed when unconsciously or whatever, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. She tumbled down onto the couch.

"Stay," he mumbled, and Sakura tried to tell if he was awake. Grinning, she made herself comfortable on the cramped couch and put her head on his chest.

"Okay," she whispered to his torso.

From her position, she had a clear view of the night sky out of one of their windows. Just barely, she seemed to make out the head and horns of Aries, the first constellation she had ever learned.

Syaoran taught it to her, because she was born under the sign of Aries.

She looked up at his face again, and wondered how she ever managed to live without him in her life. She wondered about love, and how an organ like her heart could dictate emotions and actions, even when her mind didn't realize it. She wondered about destiny, and how it seemed to perfectly describe what she felt with him.

She wondered about a lot of things, before her brain finally started to slow down and sleep began creeping up. But there was one thing that she _knew_.

She loved this man. And in a week they would be married.

* * *

Yay for fluff!


	5. A Wedding to Remember

Woah-woah-four-months-whaaaattt?

Please don't kill me

* * *

**CH.5-A Wedding to Remember**

Sakura felt like she was dreaming. From the minute she woke up to Tomoyo's shrill screams and shaking, rushing her to her house to get ready, to the primping and prepping that Tomoyo insisted on, to the meeting up with her bridesmaids and screaming and squealing of happiness (how much squealing has she done this past year anyway?), and finally to right now, sitting in front of a mirror in one of the many rooms the wedding chapel provided.

Wedding. _Her_ wedding. She was getting married. Today.

"Oh my god, Sakura," Tomoyo said, sobbing. "I can't believe you're getting married! Everything's so perfect, you're so beautiful! I just…I can't believe it!"

Sakura just dimly nodded in response. She stared at the mirror of the vanity cabinet she was sitting in front of, and watched Tomoyo bustle around her, fixing a piece of hair here, some makeup there. She felt exactly like Tomoyo. She couldn't believe this.

She only had to look at herself to see why. Her white wedding dress was strapless, with a tight bodice to narrow her waist, before flaring out to the ground like a princess dress. There were diamonds scattered all over her chest, but the rest was just simple chiffon that fell to the ground naturally. Simple and natural, just what Tomoyo was going for. Her makeup was also minimal, the tiniest hint of blush, with eyeliner and mascara. Her hair was down, since there wasn't much you could do with short hair. She didn't really mind; at least she could see one familiar trait about her.

Tomoyo just enhanced Sakura's best traits, and now she was beautiful. But…she wasn't her. Sakura wasn't vain, but she wasn't blind either. She knew she was pretty, with a good personality that attracted guys, but she never thought herself as graceful as Tomoyo, or mysteriously beautiful as Yelan Li. But now she _was_ beautiful. Her skin was flawless, her eyes large, and her hair, which she always thought of as cute before, made her look mature now. Every move that Sakura made, even if it was a fidget or spasm in pain (Beauty is pain, Sakura, Tomoyo had crooned as she unexpectedly plucked at her eyebrows), made her seem graceful. Where was the little kid that fell out of bed every morning, made a mess getting ready, and always arrived to school panting and out of breath? Where was the person who just yesterday, tripped down the stairs and pouted while Syaoran made fun of her the rest of the day? Gone, that's where. She couldn't recognize herself at all. She didn't look in the mirror and see herself about to get married, she saw a stranger staring back at her, as if she was watching from the sidelines.

* * *

"Hi, what's your name?" A bubbly, fifteen-year old was hovering over the only unfamiliar face in her grade ten class, but the serious-faced boy sitting in front of her just stared back disinterestedly.

"I don't give my name out to annoying girls."

She blinked, taken aback. "Well, maybe if you knew me you would see I'm not an annoying girl!"

He scoffed. "I've seen enough already," he said. "You're one of those girls who is so nice everyone can't help but love her, but the minute some cynic like me shows up and doesn't like her, she breaks down and latches on to me, trying to prove to her self-esteem that not one person in the world can ever hate her. It's amazing how desperate some can get. I mean, it's bad enough having four sisters who call you _kawaii_ every five seconds, but random girls deciding to treat you as an experiment to try to convert me…my childhood was terrifying, I tell you. One time…"

She waited patiently, while he raged against his horrific childhood experiences of girls swarming around him thinking his anti-social behavior was _oh so cute_, and waited a few seconds after he had finished before asking, "Do you tell all the annoying girls that?"

He paused, and then tried to cover up his hesitation, but then he didn't know what to say, and it all resulted in a spluttering mess of "N-n-n-no of course not! I mean, yes! Well, sometimes!"

She laughed at his quickly reddening face and said, "I guess I'm just better at being annoying, aren't I? By the way, my name is Sakura. Sakura Kinomoto."

She walked away, and immediately he shook his head, willing the blush on his cheeks to fade. "Sakura," he mouthed, testing out the name. He watched her flit around the classroom, asking how everyone's summer had gone, and he found himself hoping that this wouldn't be the last time she bothered him. She was exactly like one of those annoying girls, and yet…

"My name is Syaoran Li."

* * *

"Do you think Syaoran will like this?" she asked tentatively. "I don't even look like myself. I can't even _see_ myself."

Meiling was the first to laugh. Actually, she burst out in huge, gasping laughs. "If he doesn't like you like this," she managed to say, "then he is not a man."

They all laughed with her. "Syaoran will love you no matter what," Rika said soothingly. "You have always been beautiful to him."

Sakura smiled at her best friends, but they couldn't calm her. No, she wasn't worried about Syaoran anymore, but more worries just popped up.

"But what about if I trip down the aisle? Or if I spill something on this dress? Or if I forget somebody's name at the reception!" She was nervous, and she was building herself into a frenzy.

Tomoyo opened her mouth to comfort Sakura, but her cell phone rang. Rolling her eyes, muttering, "What now?" she flipped it open, waiting for the other person to speak.

The others watched as Tomoyo's face turned into a scowl, an unbelieving tone in her voice as she said, "My god, Eriol, you do realize you're the best man right?" She hung up before he could respond and said in that same incredulous voice, "Eriol _forgot_ the rings. And instead of getting them himself, he made Syaoran get them."

* * *

"Damn him!"

There was barely a pause as Sakura continued her summer math homework, letting out a generic, "What did he do this time?" She had known Syaoran long enough to know that the only person who could get him this emotional was his own cousin, Eriol Hiragizawa.

"He's coming to Tomoeda."

This time, Sakura looked up. "Really?" she asked, and Syaoran narrowed his eyes at the excited look on her face.

"Yeah…why are you so happy?" He wasn't jealous, of course. He just…didn't think they would be a good match. Eriol wasn't good enough for anyone, especially_ her_. Not that she was special, of course. Of course not, no siree…

"Don't you think he would be perfect with Tomoyo? Maybe he'll ask her to homecoming this year!"

He thought about it, and slowly he could see an evil plot forming. They both snooped too much into other people's business, they both annoyed him, although Eriol was worse, and they were both _creepy_. They even had special grins just for scaring the wits out of everyone around them. And if Eriol had a lady friend to entertain, he wouldn't be around the house to annoy _him_. Meiling was bad enough…

"You know what? That's not a bad idea."

* * *

There was a long pause as the girls just looked at each other, trying to hold in laughs. "You're man is one lazy guy, Tomoyo," Chiharu finally said, shaking her head.

They laughed again, and Tomoyo said to Sakura, "I'm so sorry Eriol is such a bastard. When he gets married I'll make sure Syaoran does nothing besides watch him and laugh."

Sakura inwardly frowned at Tomoyo's harsh words, but ignored it. "Thinking of getting married, then?"

Tomoyo blushed, lowering her face. "If he asks me," she whispered softly. The next second she brightened up, saying, "But this isn't about me! This day is all about Sakura and Syaoran!" There were stars in her eyes. "We should follow a Western tradition I've read about."

Sakura knew she was just distracting them from her and Eriol, but went along with it. "And what tradition is that?"

Tomoyo recited, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in your shoe. If you have all those things on you when you get married, it'll bring good luck."

She studied Sakura carefully. "Well the dress is new, of course. I just finished it a couple weeks ago. You're wearing your mother's veil, which has been passed down for generations so that's your something old. Your garter," and here she winked, "is blue, which I'm sure Syaoran will find _entertaining_."

Curse the blush that crept up Sakura's face! Ooh, Tomoyo seemed ready to faint as she saw the "blushing bride."

After slipping a one yen coin into Sakura's shoe, muttering, "It'll have to do," Tomoyo tapped her chin with her finger, pretending to think.

"What else is there?" she pretended to muse, mentally going through all of Sakura's accessories.

Suddenly she pointed her finger up, in an 'Aha!' pose. She scurried away momentarily, only to appear with a large, rectangular velvet box, obviously carrying some sort of jewelry.

She opened it to reveal a diamond necklace. It wasn't elaborate, with a diamond teardrop as the centerpiece and small swirls and dots decorating it. Everyone seemed to sigh at how perfectly it matched the small diamonds dotting Sakura's dress. Tomoyo gently placed it around Sakura's neck, and murmured, "Something borrowed."

And then they were both sobbing, clutching one another while Tomoyo's hand fluttered over Sakura's face, making sure her makeup wasn't ruined. Really, they didn't know why they were crying, because this was going to be the happiest day of Sakura's life. She was getting married to the man she loved.

* * *

"I think…Eriol's been good for me."

Sakura looked up, surprised, and yet secretly delighted. "Is that so?" she asked cautiously, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. "Have you gotten over that other person you would never tell me about?"

"I think so. He's shown me what it's like to truly be happy. And I've known for a while that the one I used to love the most has another person. It is true that I was happy as long as my person was happy, but I've realized that the person you truly love the most will do anything to make you happy as well."

Sakura's eyes were shining. "I'm glad you've found another person," she said, grabbing her hands. "And I'm sure your person is glad you've moved on too, especially since they have someone as well. Are they together?"

Tomoyo paused, looking at Sakura's face. "Not yet," she said. "But they will. They're meant to be."

* * *

Just as suddenly as they started crying, they pulled back and burst out laughing. "I don't know why I'm so nervous," Sakura admitted, dabbing away at the tears. "I know we're madly in love with each other, and Syaoran promised nothing would keep him from the wedding. I don't have anything to be nervous about."

Tomoyo laughed. "It's just normal to be nervous," she said. "It's like a tradition. A bit of doubt that something will happen to ruin your perfect day."

A frantic knocking was heard at their door, interrupting Tomoyo. They both turned their heads toward the noise in confusion. Sakura's heart dropped at the sound.

* * *

"Syaoran, do you mind if I walk home with you today? Touya's mad at me for not helping to clean the house yesterday, and he told me he wouldn't go home with me anymore, but if I walked home alone he would tell Otou-san about the time I got hit in the head with a soccer ball and how I didn't tell him because I thought he would be worried. He's so mean, don't you think? Do you think he's serious? I hope not, sometimes I get scared walking by myself, especially if I have to stay after for cheerleading practice and it gets dark. Oh Syaoran, you have soccer practice, right? Maybe you could walk home with me instead!"

They walked home in silence, Syaoran not exactly consenting, but not telling her to go away, either. It was weird, how this bubbly girl had wormed her way into his life, when in his sixteen years of life he had had only one friend, his cousin Meiling. Sometimes he considered his other cousin, Eriol, a friend, but only rarely. He wasn't even sure that counted, because they were family. But somehow, this _girl_ had formed a relationship with him that no person ever had before, and she brought others with her. And maybe…he didn't really mind at all. He had even gone to Eriol's room the other day, _just to talk_. He smiled as he remembered the confused tone Eriol had, and how he accused him of planning something. As he glanced at the happy girl who was still talking about something he wasn't paying attention to, his smile grew. And it was a smile that for some reason, he didn't show anyone else.

"Oh! It's raining!"

Far from dismayed, Sakura beamed up at the sky and laughed, twirling around as the drops fell harder. "We don't usually get much rain in late January!"

Just like that, he paused, his smile gone. "January twenty-fifth," he said quietly. To his shock, he found himself tearing up, and he hastily walked forward, avoiding the inquisitive look Sakura was sending him. How had she made him forget what day it was?

"Syaoran!" he heard her call, as he broke into a sprint. "Syaoran, wait!"

In no time, she had caught up with him. How pathetic, and she was just a girl. But yet, he allowed her to take his hand and lead him to the nearby Penguin Park, obediently taking shelter under the giant King Penguin.

They were silent for a long time, Sakura just staring at him, and him staring at the ground. Sometime during their silence her hand had found his, and she rubbed circles on it soothingly, just letting him know she was here.

He liked that. He liked her.

His face came up sharply at that thought, but Sakura took it as a sign that he was ready.

"Why are you so sad?"

And then his confused feelings were overtaken by depressing ones, and he knew she wasn't just asking about today. She was asking about everything, about why he was so reserved, why he was alone, why some seemingly insignificant things bothered him. Why he didn't like watching television, or hearing the news, or why he always skipped those courses for planning the future…

"I ran away from home."

She seemed a little confused. Okay, so that wasn't exactly the place he was expecting to start at, either, but he found himself continuing, spilling out his life story.

"You might not know this, but I come from a family where power means everything, and we have a lot of it. Our family, or more accurately our _clan_ has unlimited influence in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan...pick any place on the map and we have connections there. And all of this power is held by one person: the leader of the Li clan."

There you have it, Sakura, he thought to her. I'm famous, my family is famous, and I don't like listening to the news because it's always filled with every little action from my family. I don't think about the future, because mine is already set. No deviation.

"I'm the future leader, and I'm sure you've guessed that. I wasn't exactly ecstatic about it, but I wasn't unhappy either. It's a life that has its pros and cons, and I was trained from birth solely to take over the clan. It was the only life I knew. And until I was fourteen, it was the only life I wanted."

A year ago exactly. Has it really been that long? In a year his life had changed dramatically; so much that his old life seemed like a distant memory.

"It took me so long to find out," he continued, "and even longer to confirm it. Meiling said her parents told her, but they didn't want it to get back to me. No one wanted me to know, even though I _should_."

"What did you find out?" she asked, and Syaoran saw that she was struggling to figure out his convoluted tale, using only his vague hints. He sighed. It was…hard, trying to tell someone what happened to him, how one moment made his life so clear and yet so doubtful at the same time. But he looked at the girl in front of him, who he had known for less than a year, and he saw happiness. He saw a friend, and he saw possibilities and choices.

"Last year on this day I found my mother crying in her room before a picture of my father. It was his two year death anniversary."

* * *

Sakura was ecstatic a minute ago. Now, she couldn't ignore the feeling of foreboding in her chest. _Go away_, she mentally said to the visitor. _Don't ruin my perfect day_.

"Coming!" Tomoyo called, cheerful as ever. She was oblivious to the urgency of the visitor, dismissing it as excitement for a wedding.

As the visitor and her conversed, though, Tomoyo's smile slid off her face. She looked back at Sakura with a horror-stricken expression, and Sakura knew it wasn't good.

* * *

The words seemed so alien to her, although the meaning was clear. "You found out?" she said slowly, eyebrows furrowed together in concentration. "As in, you didn't know before?"

He sighed sadly. "They kept it from me, because he died from exhaustion and overworking himself. They thought I would back out from my title if I knew the stress that came with it, but they were fools. I had already experienced the pressure and anxiety as they kept adding to my workload since my father wasn't there anymore. I'm strong; I can handle it, but _they_ didn't seem to think so.

They. The Elders. They were the villains throughout his whole life, but now…was he really free of them? He felt a slight twinge as he remembered he had left Meiling to fend for herself, but he waved it away. She was here now, wasn't she? She was safe.

"What made me leave," he continued, and Sakura snapped her mouth shut, cutting off the questions she was about to ask. "What made me leave was something I realized."

This was it. This was why he didn't like to talk to others, because there were some things in his life that he wasn't proud of. Sakura would see him as a monster, definitely. She was the happy-go-lucky type of girl who probably wouldn't even understand what he felt.

"I realized that the reason it was so easy to keep my father's death from me was because I honestly didn't care."

He quickly turned away, partly from shame and partly because he was shocked at the tears dripping down his face. He waited for Sakura to gasp in outrage, yell 'how could you say such a thing?' and storm away, but he didn't want her to. He needed someone to help him sort out his thoughts and memories, because he left to get a clear head, to think about what happened away from the craziness that caused it all. Suddenly he saw his family for what it was: persuasion, profit, personal gain. He hated it, and yet he loved it. He needed to be a part of it, but he had to figure out how.

He felt the soft hand on his shoulder and stiffened, slowly turning around. She was still there, beautiful as ever, with a kind smile adorning her face. She held out a handkerchief, gently wiping a few tears off his face before softly closing his hand over it.

"This was my mother's," Sakura told him, keeping her hands around his. "My father told me she would always say to try to stay happy, but when you feel sad, there's no shame in crying and letting it out." She smiled brighter. "You need this more than I do. There's nothing wrong with crying."

He looked at it wordlessly, and he knew Sakura understood the thanks he was trying to say. He glanced up, mouth still gaping…and then he ran away, leaving Sakura dot-eyed behind him.

Something had changed between them, he knew. He ran away from enchanting eyes and sweet smiles and wondered when he had stopped seeing her as one of those 'annoying girls.' Hell, he even wondered when he had stopped seeing her as 'reluctant friend' to…what? A true friend? A major crush? A…soulmate? His body flooded with warmth as he thought of her soothing touch, and he skidded to a halt.

For the first time in his life, Syaoran Li felt love.

* * *

_Syaoran promised_, she insisted as she listened to Tomoyo gently explain to her that Eriol called her before to say that Syaoran left two hours ago to fetch the rings, and that he hadn't returned. That he wasn't here. They weren't sure where he was, if he got into an accident or if he…left.

"He promised!" Sakura yelled out loud, denying what she heard. "He promised," she repeated, shaking her head. "He wouldn't do this."

She got up slowly, wrenching her arm free from Tomoyo's grasp. She ignored the words of her bridesmaids, pleading her to stay. She knew she was running, but it all seemed like slow motion to her. She brushed past Eriol, who was standing outside the door, and ignored the apologies he was yelling after her. She didn't stop running until she reached the wedding chapel doors, and threw them open.

All eyes turned to her instantly. The murmuring amongst them died as they saw the bride, tears flowing down her cheeks, chest heaving, hair in a wild mess. Sakura looked at their faces and while there were different emotions among all of them, confusion, anger, sorrow; one underlying feeling was present in the whole room.

Pity.

She didn't need their pity. She needed _answers_.

Another quick glance told her no one here knew anything, so she darted away before the mob could reach her.

* * *

"Are we making this a tradition now?" Sakura teased, closing her eyes and feeling the night breeze tousle her hair. She lay back, contented, before cracking an eye open and glancing at the boy next to her. "This is the third time we've done this, did you know?"

"I like to lose myself in them. It makes me feel hopeful."

She stayed silent, uncomfortable. Syaoran Li was the strangest boy she had ever met, and there was still an awkward air between them since he told her his reasons for coming to Japan. They had known each other for over a year, and she felt like she knew more about him than anyone else combined, but that was nothing because there was just so much more to figure out. It was hard, treading the narrow path of friendship that he cleared, and sometimes it was just strange, spending time with this boy day after day and she couldn't even tell what his favorite color was.

He suddenly beamed at her, eyes crinkling and grin stretched wide. "Hey, what's your sign?"

And yet, it was so worth it. Every smile, every laugh, every friendly gesture from him just made her heart feel like bursting because he was her pet project and she could see the differences. He was becoming more open, slowly but surely, and every night she would dream about the day when he would laugh without thinking, smile at strangers, feel completely at ease with people other than her. It was sad, really, how obsessed she was with him. But she was sure the path would widen, widen until she wouldn't be able to see the sides anymore, and then she would have an amazing friend, one who could complement her perfectly and always have a special connection with because it would be her who helped him grow into the person he was meant to be. He would become…perfection.

"Aries."

She knew what Syaoran meant when he said he liked to get lost in the stars. She stared at the night sky above her and she couldn't explain the contented feeling she had, the idea that all her worries could fall to earth while _she_ could soar high above them.

She decided that star gazing would be her and Syaoran's thing from now on, and she smiled at the idea.

* * *

Ten minutes later, she found herself at their apartment, standing by Syaoran's bedside drawer. She knew this was where he kept their wedding rings, even though he tried to hide that from her. It was empty.

So he was here, and he got the rings. She couldn't tell if that was a good thing or bad thing. She didn't see any sign of an accident on her way home, so it was possible he took the rings and left, off to find another girl he liked better.

_But he wouldn't do that_, Sakura argued. _He loved me_.

_Then why aren't you two married?_

She ran again. She couldn't stand one more second of being in the apartment that constantly reminded her of Syaoran. Her feet took her to Penguin Park, which wasn't any better since they spent so much time there as teenagers, but she found herself sprawled on the concrete before she could go to another place.

Damn rocks. They should go die.

* * *

"I have to go now."

"Just…five more minutes?"

"Okay."

They sat in silence on the swing set, gently swinging back and forth, back and forth, the rusty chains squeaking quietly. It was unreal, how one day will change their lives drastically. Tomorrow, at this time…

"How far away is Osaka?"

"I don't know."

More silence. Sakura dreaded leaving, although she knew her otou-san wanted her home now, so they would be able to reach Osaka at a decent hour. She was all packed, ready to go, but suddenly she felt like there was something she needed to do. And she just couldn't leave Syaoran without…without a proper goodbye or _something_.

"I don't want to leave."

"I don't want you to leave either."

The squeaking beside her abruptly stopped and she turned towards him, the urge to not leave, to want to stay with him forever clawing up her throat. She stared at him questioningly.

"Sakura…" It seemed like Syaoran was hyperventilating. He was breathing deeply, and he avoided looking at her. Her own breaths quickened in response, and she felt adrenaline rushing through her veins as she anticipated his next words.

"…I'll never forget you."

She snorted, and the tension immediately faded. "I'm going to college, Syaoran," she said teasingly. "I'm not dying. We'll see each other again. I promise."

He grinned as well, but she saw the disappointment in his eyes, at her or at himself, she wasn't sure. "I know. I just felt like being overdramatic since you always tell me I never show my emotions."

She laughed, getting off the swing, and she was hit again with that feeling of incompletion.

"I guess this is goodbye."

"I guess so."

A lingering hug and a quick kiss on the cheek later, Sakura found herself walking home.

Fifteen minutes later she was back again, but this time in a car with piles of furniture and dorm accessories in the back seat. Her otou-san drove past the park and she saw Syaoran still sitting on the swing, still rocking gently back and forth. He looked up as they passed and Sakura waved furiously, blinking back tears that were threatening to spill. He waved back sadly, and Sakura watched him as he grew smaller and smaller, before disappearing completely as they turned a corner.

And then Sakura realized what she hadn't done. She hadn't figured out why she needed to be with Syaoran. She hadn't understood why she would miss him over anyone else, even Tomoyo, although she attributed it before to the fact that she would be close, in Kyoto. She hadn't realized that there was something she needed to tell him.

"I love you, Syaoran," she whispered to the window. But by now, it was too late.

* * *

Sakura hadn't allowed herself to feel anything since she heard the news. All she let herself feel was a need to find out the _truth_. But she couldn't hold it off any longer. She pulled herself up to a sitting position, with her dress pooled around her, and cried, letting out all her feelings of hurt, betrayal, and confusion. She let the pity all the guests felt for her mix with her own and let them fuel her tears. She didn't know how long she stayed there, sobbing her eyes out, before she had the strength to pull herself together and wipe away the tears. She would go back and wait for news there. There must be an explanation-

She froze. A man was sitting on the swings, looking at her with a curious face.

He was wearing an immaculate black tuxedo, with a white button-up dress shirt underneath and a black bow tie. His chestnut hair was messy as always, although in a polished look. There wasn't a wrinkle in his suit, not a hair out of place. He was holding two boxes that Sakura knew held wedding rings.

He looked dazzling. Handsome. Refined. Sakura stared at him, taking in his appearance, mouth gaping. He looked…perfect.

_Why am I in love with you?_

The shock quickly turned to anger as her mouth closed with a snap. She was in his face in a second, prodding his chest with her finger.

"Bastard!" she yelled, feeling satisfaction at finally being able to swear at him. "Do you know what you did to me? How much of a wreck I am? What do you have to say?"

_I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you_.

He just stared at her.

Sakura's fury grew at his silence. Before she knew it, her hand had raised and smacked him across the face.

His head whipped to the side at her force, but he turned back to her, still staring, still silent. Sakura felt the tears coming again, and she tried covering it up with more yelling.

"You promised, you asshole!" she screamed, fighting the urge to slap him again, and maybe punch him in the nose. "You promised you would be there, waiting for me at the altar! You promised," her voice broke, "you promised you would be there, because you loved me, and being with me was what you wanted for the rest of your life."

_I was searching for someone who made me feel like you do_.

She waited for his response. It was five minutes before he opened his mouth, but this time, Sakura wasn't expectant or demanding of an explanation. She was horrified, because as the minutes passed, she saw something in his eyes that she knew would break her. She saw confusion. Confusion at her, and what she was talking about.

_I feel like we're soul mates_.

"Who are you?"

* * *

Dun dun dun...it's called a drama for a reason :P


End file.
